What will Amendment J change in Colorado if voters approve it?

COLORADO SPRINGS — An amendment on this year’s ballot could change the definition of marriage in the Colorado constitution. Let’s break down Amendment J.

Currently, the Colorado Constitution defines marriage as the union of one man and one woman. The state constitution states that “only the union of one man and one woman shall be valid or recognized as marriage in this state.”

On the ballot this year, Amendment J would remove that definition.

“We urge Coloradans to vote against Amendment J,” said community member John Wolfe.

“I hope the majority of people in our community will agree that they will vote for this,” said Nicole Hunt, a spokeswoman for Focus on the Family Church in Colorado Springs.

The current definition of marriage was added to the Colorado Constitution in 2006 after voters approved an amendment. However, same-sex marriage has been legalized in Colorado since 2014. In 2015, it became legal across the country when the US Supreme Court ruled that same-sex couples have the right to marry.

“It was troubling to see that this was enacted in 2006, that just recently people decided to ban our marriage, essentially, in a state that we love and a city that we love,” said Josh Franklin, who was married to Wolfe for three years. “So the idea of ​​anyone saying our relationship is illegitimate is laughable. You know, whether we like it or not, but this is my person.”

The couple said they support Amendment J.

“Even if people, you know, say that religious or cultural background doesn’t align with our ideas, they see that it doesn’t take anything away from them. It’s just a level playing field for everybody, and I think that’s all we’re really looking for,” Wolfe said.

But others disagree.

“We believe that in order to have a healthy family and to have a healthy, prosperous society, we need to preserve natural marriage, which is marriage between one man and one woman,” Hunt said. “Children do better when they are raised by married biological parents. All of this shows that we protect families, we have healthy families, we have a healthy society by upholding our definition of marriage as one man and one woman.”

She said Focus on Families members have testified in the state against Amendment J this year.

“So we went and testified on behalf of those kids and those families that this would actually lead to a healthier, better society and why we shouldn’t take that out of the Constitution,” Hunt said.

What does your vote mean?

A “no” vote means that the constitution will remain the same. The current language that defines a valid marriage as a union between one man and one woman will remain. A vote for Amendment J would have repealed the current wording of the state constitution, which defines a valid marriage as a union between one man and one woman.

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